A third of smoking households in England are living in poverty with rates highest in the North

The new breakdown [1] published recently shows that in England, 31 per cent of households containing smokers live in poverty, once spend on smoking is taken into account. Rates are highest in the North East, where 42 per cent of households containing smokers live in poverty, whilst London is lowest at 17 per cent – but this still equates to over 80,000 households in the capital.

The link between smoking and disadvantage is well established, but this new analysis highlights how the impact of smoking on local communities is compounded in regions where household incomes are also lower. The average gross disposable household income per head in the North East is only £17,096, whilst in London it is £30,256.[2]